1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plastic bottle carrier which is provided with bottle neck retainers shaped for suspending engagement with the necks of plastic bottles so as to allow the plastic bottles to be conveniently carried.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various carriers have previously been proposed for engagement with the necks of plastic bottles to facilitate carrying of the bottles.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,413, issued Feb. 23, 1993 to Walter Nathan there is disclosed a unitary plastic bottle carrier assembly which has split collar assemblies for, supporting the bottles by contact with neck rings located below closures on the bottles. The split collar assemblies are connected to a central support member, and a handle is assembled with the support member. The handle comprises a central elongated strip that has end portions in the form of rectangular pads secured at right angles to the ends of the strip. During the assembly of the handle to the support member, the end pads are turned parallel to the strip portion and are moved through openings in the support member, after which they are flattened out so as to underlie the support member and to prevent the handle from being removed when the carrier and associated bottles are lifted.
It is, however, a disadvantage of this prior arrangement that the handle cannot be easily assembled with and removed from the support member.
Thus, to attach the handles to the support member, it is necessary to deform the handle so as to allow the rectangular pads to fit through the slots. Likewise, to remove the handle from the support member, it is be necessary to again deform the handle so as to enable the rectangular pads to be withdrawn through the slots. Such deformation of the handle and displacement of the support pads through the slots would be difficult or even impossible for an impaired, e.g. arthritic, person.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved plastic bottle carrier which comprises two components which can be very easily assembled an disassembled.
According to the present invention, a plastic bottle carrier comprises first and second components of moulded plastic material. The first component comprises a support member formed with bottle neck retainers for suspending engagement with necks of plastic bottles and a slot extending through the support member along an imaginary centerline of the support member. The second component comprises a handle extending upwardly through the slot, the handle having a lower portion projecting beyond the slot beneath the support member to support the support member on the lower portion of the handle. The handle also has an upper portion projecting above the support member from the lower portion, and an opening formed in the upper portion, with a handgrip extending above the opening and defining an upper limit of the opening. The upper portion is dimensioned so as to be slidable through the slot for insertion of the upper portion through the slot and removal of the upper portion from the slot.
The handle in the plastic bottle according to the present invention is required to be inserted through only one slot in the support member, and no deformation of the handle for that purpose is required. Consequently, it is a very easy matter, even for a physically impaired person, to simply slide the handle upwardly through the slot in the support member for the purpose of assembling the support member and the handle and, likewise, to simply withdraw or push the handle downwardly through the slot to disassemble the handle from the support member.
Furthermore, since no deformation of the handle is required for this purpose, the handle is not required to be flexible and, consequently, can be made relatively thick so that, by providing the underside of the handle with a convexly curved surface, the weight of the entire carrier and any bottles suspended from the carrier can be supported by fingers inserted through the opening without hurting or even cutting or otherwise damaging the fingers.